Safety razor having plurality of shaving adjustments



P 1958 J. J. KING I 2,850,801

SAFETY RAZOR HAVING PLURALITY 0F SHAVING ADJUSTMENTS Filed Aug. 51,1955

IN VEN TOR.

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United States Patent Q SAFETY RAZOR HAVING PLURALITY F SHAVINGADJUSTMENTS John J. King, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 31, 1955, Serial No. 531,714

1 Claim. (CI. 30-46) The present invention relates to safety razors;and, more particularly, pertains to a safety razor and blade combinationwhich provides for four positions of adjustment of the razor bladecuttingedges relative to the razor guard edges and, thus, allows forfour different dispositions of the cutting edge of a razor bladerelative to the skin of the user.

The razor embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings is of thetype wherein the blade is reciprocated longitudinally during the shavingoperation. However, it is to be understood that the novel features ofthe razor and blade herein presented are equally well adapted forincorporationin the ordinary safety razor construction having no movingparts in which the blade remains stationary in the normal course ofshaving.

It is well known by those skilled in the razor art that the ordinarydouble-edged blade is usually centrally disposed on the razor supportplate, whereby the opposed cutting edges of the blade project overopposed uniform guard edges of the support plate precisely the samedistance. It is apparent that in such a construction only one positionof adjustment of the blade cutting edges relative to the support plateguard edges is possible.

It is an object, therefore, of the invention to provide a reversible,double-edged blade, the cutting edges of which project over opposedguard edges unequal distances, in combination with a razor constructionin which the distal free end limits of the guard edges are disposed atunequal distances from the plane of the blade.

Utilizing such a combination, upon reversing the blade in the razor,four positions of adjustment of the blade edges relative to the guardedges are possible and, thus, four cutting edges are available forshaving use, as will hereinafter be explained in greater detail.

It is a further object of this invention to enable four cutting edges tobe obtainable with the provided razor by the mere punching of aplurality of locating apertures in the ordinary double-edged blade soldin retail stores.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a razorconstruction" employing a novel retaining plate, thereby assuringstability of razor assembly.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a novelshaving concept which is readily adaptable to either safety razorsemploying reciprocating blades or to the ordinary type razor in whichthe blade is fixedly positioned.

The above and other objects will become more apparent from the followingdescription, accompanying drawings and appended claims. I

In carrying out this invention in one form, a razor is provided having asupport plate, the opposed longi-- tudinal edges of which have guardedges formed integral therewith. The free or distal end limits of theguard edges, however, differ in that they are disposed at unequaldistances from the plane of the support plate. Protruding studs or otherequivalent locating means are po sitioned on the top surface of thesupport plate for purposes of engaging a double-edged blade which is tobe supported thereon. The double-edged blade is appropriately aperturedfor purposes of engaging the lattermentioned studs. These apertures,however, are so positioned in the blade that, in the normal assembledposition, the cutting edges of the blade project unequal distances overthe opposed longitudinal edges of the support plate and assume differentrelative dispositions with the guard edges. By reversing thedouble-edged blade, new relative dispositions between the opposedcutting edges of the blade and the support plate guard edges areeffected. It is thus apparent that four positions of adjustment of thecutting edges of a double-edged blade relative to the guard edges of asupport plate are possible and, thus, four different dispositions of thecutting edges of a double-edged blade relative to the skin of a user,affording four different degrees of shaving closeness, are available. II

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference shouldnow be had to the drawings, wherein Figure l is a top plan view of therazor employed in one embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the support plate utilized in the razorprovided;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the provided razor in which thetop portion thereof is shown in section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the embodimentillustrated in Fig. 3 in which the top portion thereof is shown insection taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary left side elevational view of the top portion ofthe embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary right side elevational view of the top portionof the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a double-edged blade to be utilized withthe illustrated razor showing in dotted lines the new disposition oftheblade cutting edges when reversed on the support plate.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, arazor 10 of the type in which the blade is reciprocated longitudinallyduring the cutting operation is provided. Such a razor is particularlydesirable for persons having beards of unusual toughness since thereciprocal cutting action of the blade insures positive cutting of thehairs of the beard. Consequently, the tendency of the blade to slideover tough beards is obviated. The razor comprises a handle 12 to whicha support plate 14 is affixed at the upper end limit thereof. The latterplate has disposed on the top surface thereof two projecting studmembers 16 for purposes of engaging locating apertures 13 of adouble-edged razor blade 22, such as is illustrated in Fig. 7, which isto be positioned thereon. Formed integral with the, opposed edges of thesupport plate 14 are two serrated guard edges 18 which, as will be moreclearly shown in Figs. 4 through 6, have a substantially U-shaped,cross-sectional configuration. By utilizing such a configuration, thecream or softening agent in contact with the beard is disturbed to aminimum degree in the course of shaving, while the whiskers and creamremoved by the blade are supported by the guard edges 18 and preventedfrom carelessly.

blade 22 and the support plate, because of the point con tacts effectedbetween blade 22 and projections 20.

The blade 22 is provided with an aperture '24 which is centrallydisposed relative to the length of the blade but which is offsetslightly toward one longitudinal edge as illustrated (see Fig. 7). Blade22 is adapted to be engaged by a reciprocating, projecting pin 26 which.is a part' of the razor It]; as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As ismore clearly shown in Fig. 3, the pin 26 is aflixed to a supportingsaddle or frame member 23 which is supported by a transversely disposedpin member 30; The latter pin is, in turn, journalled at opposed endlimits in bracket-bearing portions 32 which are formed integral with thetop surface of a retaining plate 36. It will be noted. from the planview of the latter retaining plate in Fig. 1 that the bracket bearings32 are at opposed longitudinal end limits of an aperture 34 formed inthe top surface of the retaining plate 36. The saddle 28 depends throughthe aperture 34 in the retaining plate, as shown in Fig. 3, and theprojecting pin 26 fixedly positioned on the saddle 28 depends stillfurther so as to traverse the aperture 24 formed in the blade 22.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the support plate 14 has acentral aperture 38 which enables the projecting pin 26 of the saddle todepend below the plane of the support plate and is of such a diameter soas to allow lateral reciprocal movement of pin 26, as will hereinafterbe explained.

The motive means for reciprocally moving the saddle 28, attached pin 26and underlying blade 22 comprises a roller 40 which is suitably keyed tothe rotatable transverse pin 30. The roller 40 is knurled about itsperiphery so as to be readily and rotatably moved upon contact with thesurface of the face in the course of a shaving stroke. The opposed endportions of the roller 40 comprise cam portions 42, more clearly shownin Figs. 1 and 3. Upon rotating the roller 40 by contact with the facein the course of a shaving stroke, the cam portions 42 also rotate,simultaneously reciprocally moving those portions of the frame 28 whichdepend from the pin 30 against which the cam portions abut. The saddleor frame 28 is, therefore, forced to reciprocally move from side toside. As the roller member 40 rotates, the projecting pin 26 aflixed tothe saddle 28 simultaneously reciprocates the blade 22 positioned on thesupport plate. The slotlike nature of the apertures 13 formed in thedouble-edged blade 22 enables the blade to reciprocally move and, yet,be prevented from moving laterally on the support plate 14 as the blade22 slidably engages the projecting blade locating studs 16.

It will be noted from Figs. 3 and 4 that the surface of the blade 22remains horizontal when positioned on the support plate 14. Any bendingor gripping of the blade by components of the razor illustrated wouldrender impossible the reciprocal movement of the blade.

The irregular disposition of the locating apertures 13 on the blade 22comprises one of the main features of the invention provided. By havingthe distance between each set of blade apertures 13 and the adjacentblade cutting edge vary, one cutting edge of the blade must, ofnecessity, project over a longitudinal edge of the support plate and theunderlying guard a greater distance than the opposed cutting edge of theblade projects over the opposed edge of the support plate when the bladeapertures 13 engage locating studs 16. The difference in blade edgedisposition upon reversing blade 22 on support plate 14 is shown in Fig.7 wherein the dotted and solid line blade figures depict the two bladepositions on the support plate and also indicates the changed positionof the blade due to its reciprocal movement.

Another feature of the invention provided comprises the unequaldistances which the distal or free end limits 46 and 47 of the guardedges 18 are disposed from the planes of the support plate and blade. Itis obvious that the guard distal end limit 47 being disposed closer tothe plane of the blade will effect a closer shave with blade edge 44athan the opposed guard distal end limit 46 will effect with blade edge46b, which is disposed at a greater distance from the plane of theblade. The closest shave is obtainable when the long edge 44a of theblade is disposed adjacent the distal edge end limit 47 of the guard 18which end limit is disposed closer to the blade. A razor-bladedisposition which provides a cutting edge which efiects a shave notquite as close as that above described comprises that of the blade edge44b over the distal end limit 46 of the guard edge 18. Two alternateblade edge-razor guard dispositions providing varying degrees of shavingcloseness intermediate the two above shaving edges are obtainable uponreversing the blade 22 on the support plate 14 of the razor 10 so thatedge 44a will now be disposed adjacent distal end limit 46 of the guard18 and blade edge 44b will be disposed adjacent the distal end limit 47of the guard edge 18. it is thus apparent from the above that fourseparate shaving edges are available utilizing the provided razor-bladecombination.

The user of the blade and razor provided may thus select the blade edgeand guard disposition which aifords him the greatest shaving efliciencyand comfort. It may be desirable for the user of the provided razor andblade combination to use one edge disposition for a rough shave in whichthe bulk of the whiskers is removed and the opposite blade edgedisposition for a second operation in which a finishing close shave iseffected.

Referring now to details of the razor construction provided, it will beseen in Fig. 6 that the blade retaining plate 36 has two dependingbracket portions 48 for purposes of pivotally engaging a pin 50 which isjournalled in opposed projecting lug portions 52 formed integral withthe support plate 14, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2. Because of thedouble bearing, as illustrated in Fig. 6, any tendency of the retainingplate 36 to twist and become distorted in the course of retaining platemovement is minimized. It will be further noted from Fig. 5 that twodepressions 53 are formed in a depending lip formed integral with oneend limit of the retaining plate 36. The two depressions 53 function aslocking snaps which secure the retaining plate 36 in a fixed positionover the blade support plate 14. Two projecting lugs 56, shown in Fig.2, are formed integral with the support plate 14 and provide side stopswhich prevent lateral movement of the depending lip 54 of the retainingplate when the retaining plate is in locked position. It is thus seenthat the razor construction 10 provided is sturdy and assures theabsence of rattling and movement of the retaining plate 36 in the normalcourse of a shaving operation.

The blades to be utilized in the provided razor construction may be theusual type double-edged blades sold in retail stores but which have beenpunched, as above described, so as to enable the cutting edges toproject unequal distances on the razor support plate.

it is thus seen that a razor and blade combination has been providedwhich allows four positions of blade to razor adjustment and, thus fourcutting edges affording four degrees of shaving closeness, which theuser thereof may employ in the normal course of shaving. The fourdistinct blade-razor disposition allow great flexibility in the courseof shaving and enables the user of the combination illustrated to employa rough shaving and a finish shaving operation which he deems mostsuitable. The razor construction illustrated is free from rattling andof sturdy construction. Ordinary blades may be used with the illustratedrazor following a simple punching operation.

It is intended that many modifications which may be based on theillustrated embodiment remain within the inventive concept heredisclosed. This invention is to be limited, therefore, only by the scopeof the appended claim.

I claim:

in a safety razor, a handle, a razor blade support attached to saidhandle, at least two blade positioning means disposed on said bladesupport for engaging and positioning an apertured double-edged razorblade on said blade support, blade retaining means hingedly secured tosaid blade support, roller means disposed atop said blade retainingmeans having cam surfaces defining opposed end limits, a mounting forsaid roller means, saddle means abutting against opposed cam end limitsof said roller means, reciprocally movable pin means secured to a lowerportion of said saddle means reciprocally movable over the longitudinalaxis of said blade support and depending from said blade retaining meansand into the plane of said blade support, rotational movement of saidroller means imparting reciprocal movement to said saddle means by meansof said roller cam end limits and depending saddle means, and twoopposed guard portions formed integrally with the opposed longitudinaledges of said blade support, so that the intervals between the plane ofsaid support and said guard portions distal end limits are unequal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSClauberg Mar. 27, Reed Aug. 4, Reed Aug. 18, La Chance et a1 Feb. 2,King Aug. 7, Valabregne Oct. 16, Love Apr. 12, King Dec. 13, Parkin Aug.10, Parkin Aug. 10, Bunnell Aug. 17, Gump Feb. 17, Williams et a1 May12,

